In my first minted collage artwork for quarter two of 2021, I have a rare original handmade artwork with only two editions available on sale at www.nftshowroom.com/julianhorack/gallery. I call it “Mystic Fire” and the image speaks for itself. Made from found pictures which I cut out using a pair of scissors and then glue onto a page, the recurring theme is visible in this work. And the Hive blockchain continues to be my platform of choice to mint these NFTs (non fungible tokens), since there are none of the expensive gas fees involved, which you find on the Ethereum blockchain. As a result the price is kept reasonably priced for any aspiring collector of rare original artworks.
In this work you can see depicted the monk or yogi in meditation, as well as the Buddha deity as the main focus. The fire colors of bright yellow and orange predominate and the image shows the fire flames manifesting around the subjects in the image. My idea is to mix classic religious iconography, as is seen in all my artworks. Here the idea conveyed is that of the meditator performing yoga practices to awaken the kundalini shakti or serpent power, from the base of the spine in order to move it up to the third eye chakra in the forehead region.
By doing this the yogi or meditator can open the third eye and access the power of clairvoyance, telepathy and other mystic abilities. I have incorporated the myth of the Norse god Odin into this particular piece although indirectly, for those who really know their mythology. Odin is another Mercury-like archetypal figure who is described in thirteenth century Norse legends to have hung from a tree upside down for nine nights as a sacrifice or austerity. Traditionally the world tree or Yggdrasil, as it’s called, was where he actually sacrificed one of his eyes, in order to obtain the sight of the third eye, or the psychic power of clairvoyance.
In the image you can see the Y-shaped rune image behind the Buddha deity in the center, alluding to the mythic Odin pastime. Also the Buddhist Shaolin martial artist monk in the top left also hangs upside down in a feat of great skill and mastery, while the mystic fire explodes from the top of his head. All of these images are symbols for a same concept, even though I mix the diverse religious and mythic or spiritual symbols in a hybrid and eclectic way.
My idea is to allude to the fact that their may be various diverse cultures and paths but they are all indicating the same truth, that one can practice the path of yoga or meditation, making certain sacrifices and using self-mastery, to unlock the latent mystic powers within. All the ancient cultures allude to it in their own way, whether from the Eastern or Western Mystery Traditions.
The poem that mentions the tree upon which the god Odin hung is described thus:
“I know that I hung on a windy tree nine long nights,
wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin,
myself to myself,
on that tree of which no man knows
from where its roots run”
Students of the Tarot cards will recognise the symbol of the Hanged Man who hangs upside down, just like Odin, which can be seen in this artwork today. It was while hanging like this that Odin also received the gift of the Runes, which I see as the gift of prophecy and clairvoyance, among other things.
The serpent entwined around the rune symbol here is also mentioned as being at the tree of Odin, and coincides with the serpent in the Garden of Eden at the tree of knowledge. It also echoes the serpents on the staff of Mercury- the Caduceus. In the yoga tradition of the Vedas, the kundalini serpent is said to lie at the base of the spine as a shakti or power that can rise up the spine coiling three and a half times, as it passes through the various chakra points, to ultimately reach the third eye or “ajna chakra” at the center of the forehead.
This alludes to the channels of energy that run up the spine, one on the left and one on the right, called Ida and Pingala in the yoga tradition of the Vedas. The yogi is taught to harness these and circulate them up and down the spine in meditation, thus tapping in to the flow of subtle energy within us all. That is what I see symbolised in all these myths of the world that refer to the serpent wrapped around the central staff or rod, which is actually the spine. Even Christ is seen upon the cross, sometimes symbolised as a serpent in some medieval Catholic iconography, or in alchemy.
So today’s artwork is full of mystical symbolism, which I’m revealing to you here. You can follow the leads and research further if you want to know the details. And you can purchase the first minting for 61.8 Hive coins, that being a fibonacci number called the golden ratio. The second minted edition of this artwork is more expensive, at 78.6 Hive coins, another fibonacci number. At today’s rate of exchange these prices equal about $35 and $45. That’s not too much for an original handmade artwork packed full of esoteric secret symbolism. That said, Hive coin may well accrue value, making the works more expensive in time to come, thus making this work a valuable NFT collectible to have in your own gallery of rare esoteric art.
